Writing Is Not Life-threatening

Some writers complain that writing is arduous work requiring long hours and little pay, which is often true especially for freelance fiction writers. Today, everyone wants to be a writer and with word processors and computers it is easy to put thoughts down, but it is not always effortless to be published unless one self-publishes or uses a vanity press.

Neverthe less, writing although demanding, is not life threatening. Yes, it is a lonely occupation as the writer sits alone at the keyboard and pours forth his/her ideas. Many more occupations or vocations are more dangerous than sitting before a monitor and looking at the screen as letters, words, sentences, paragraphs, and composition unfold before the writer's eyes. The most dangerous effects are eye strain, muscle fatigue, and carpal. Sometimes, back strain is an occupational hazard due to poor posture or poor equipment, it's not like the military where digging a trench under fire can be common.

Writing, on the other hand, is fulfilling in some way. Some write for money, some for recognition, some for enjoyment, and others to leave a legacy, usually a book that will outlive them or be passed on to their progeny. Most write because the like to express themselves in a way that is unique and satisfying. In any case, the writer feels some need that must be satisfied.

Writing as a career does have it hazards. If it is needed to provide revenue to maintain life, it can be frustrating. Writers who are salaried find that the pay is low and usually insufficient although over time it may rise if the writer stays long enough with the employer be it a newspaper, a magazine, a trade, or other organizations that uses the services of a writer. Freelancers probably are more thwarted in their attempts to earn a satsifying income. Their earnings usually fluctuate greatly of a year.

Even so, all writers need to be fulfilled and satisfied by what they do whether they are salaried, freelance, or writing for personal gratification. They must feel that the writing life is a good life!

Charles O. Goulet had a BA in history and a BEd in English literature. Several of his historical novels have been published and are available at Amazon.com. Amazon.ca, Barnes and Noble, and many other bookstores.

His website is: http://www.telusplanet.net/public/go1c
His blog is:http://go1c.blogspot.com

Free Traffic Course - Day 3

This is the 3rd day of "Free Traffic Course".

This day will be devoted to a very important strategy of getting free targeted web site traffic - link exchange.

Link exchange is a very powerful technique to rise the status for your web site. But before starting to speak about link exchange, several words should be said about PR or page rank of the web site.

The term page rank was introduced to wide online audience by Google - the search engine that enjoys the most popularity with web site users. Today this search engine offers 8,058,044,651 web pages for search. Google is used by online visitors worldwide. Let's be fair - today Google is the leader among search engines. And catching up with the leader is still a dream for other search engines. That is why everything used by Google is of great importance to web site owner - Google gives targeted traffic.

So, page rank is a kind of status that Google gives to all web sites. Page rank "0" means the lowest status, no status at all. "10" is the highest mark. It means users really flood your web site. You can pack traffic in Christmas boxes and send them to children :)

Why is page rank critical for getting targeted visitors? When user makes any search in Google, the search engine "checks" all web sites in its database. The web sites that have bigger page rank for the submitted keyword have bigger chances to get to the very top of found results. Would you like to be among first 10 web sites found for "car insurance", if your web site is specializing in this business? Surely you would. So, page rank is crucial for your web site.

LOOK HOW LINK EXCHANGE EXPLODES YOUR PAGE RANK.

Google algorithm takes many factors into account to give every web site its page rank. One of them is - how many web sites in your niche have links to your web site. Please remember that links should be from your niche - they must be relevant; the web sites must have the same niche keywords in their meta data and descriptions that your web site has.

If this rule is valid, then page rank magic with link exchange starts working for you. If the web sites (who have links to your web site) have bigger page rank, Google rises the page rank for your web site as well. The more links your web site has on other web sites with high page rank in your niche, the bigger web status you get from Google. The bigger are your chances to get more traffic of targeted users.

This link supporting scheme looks like a cowboy western movie. Picture it: a band has entered the town. They say "Let's do some shooting." You are only one with a gun in the hand against the band; the band has dozens of people - they laugh at you. But then a comes your friend with a rifle and says, "Don't worry. I'll cover your back." And then another friend, then a neighbor, his two sons, the guys from the farm. You look behind and see - wow, there about 80 people who took their weapons to fight with you. The band looks for a taxi - their business is over.

The same happens with link exchange. Google has no relation to bandits, of course. But when your web site has a link exchange support from other web sites in your niche, Google awards you with high page rank. This is not a very fast process, but indeed it is guaranteed.

HOW FREE TRAFFIC SYSTEM AUTOMATES YOUR LINK EXCHANGE CAMPAIGN.

Link exchange is not hard: you email to the web site owner in your niche, offer to exchange links - your link is pasted on the web site of directory partner, the link from your partner's web site to your web site. The links are placed into special directories that are usually named "Links", "Exchange Links", "Link Directory" or something similar to it.

But when you do it manually, it takes much time. You need to find a proper web site for link exchange, email its owner, put your link and place the partner's link, build the category of links, name them, provide description to all links for better optimization to search engines - you see how much work should be done?

Well, you can pay others for this job. But the cheapest price for link exchange would be $200 for 50 links! Come on, why should you pay for it...

WHEN FREE TRAFFIC SYSTEM DOES IT FOR FREE AND ALMOST AUTOMATICALLY?!!

Free Traffic System has a module that is called "Directory": this module manages all the work for you.

The stages of work with directory in Free Traffic System are simple:

1. Spider (look day 2 of "Free Traffic Course") automatically finds niche targeted web sites for your link exchange and emails your offer for link exchange to their owners.

2. Directory module fully automates the creation, naming, submitting of description and all other aspects of running a link exchange directory on your web site.

Actually everything is over, now you have the directory. But just have a look at additional benefits that Free Traffic System Directory module gives its users:

- directory can be multilevel with as many categories inside as you wish;

- you can build your directory tree the way you wish (the deeper is the directory system, the better for search engines);

- you can choose an option to name all categories of the directory, using the keywords found by your spider (this is highly appreciated by search engines);

- you can search, edit and add new web sites and categories to your directory;

- you can automatically check if your link exchange partner still has your link on the web site; if not, you partner will get automatic message saying to put the link back;

- you can see detailed statistics about new users, web site, easy selection of statistic display periods;

- you can add AdSense and AdWords;

- edit top, bottom and side columns for the directory;

- the users of your directory can login to their personal directory area and get directory news, use forum and chat (just imagine what a powerful advertising tool you give them, and this will bring you more traffic).

And now breathe for a while and keep it in mind - this is only one module of Free Traffic System. Do you see how much time and money it saves you? Do you see now what is the unlimited power of free targeted web site traffic? And you can see more about the potential of Free Traffic System modules, features and option on the web site: http://www.FreeTrafficSystem.com

Or you can wait a little and read the 4th day of "Free Traffic Course". And use the opportunity to get wiser with professional info and tools for attracting and increasing free targeted web site traffic automatically.

Nickolay Bokhonok - CEO And Owner Of DesktopMoney LTD. Internet Marketing Software And Scripts Inventor. Successful Internet Entrepreneur. Owner Of The Network Of Various Money-Making Internet Projects. You can subscribe to our course at http://FreeTrafficSystem.com, receive the course materials, send these materials in the form of course to your subsribers' list and make affiliate commissions from all your subscribers who decide to order our internet marketing tool - Free Traffic System.

Connecting to Spirit

Every soul that is currently experiencing life on any level begins and ends as a whole. Our essence ? the very core of our spiritual being ? remains One with God. We always have been, and always will be, a part of 'the whole' that is the God-consciousness level.

Our soul essence, which began as whole, remains whole throughout the soul growth process, and will still be whole when the growth process has been completed and we no longer leave the whole to pursue our own life studies.

It is not that we, as spiritual beings in physical form, must learn something new in order to become whole, regardless of what aspect of our growth we may be working on. It is not that we need to make a 360 degree change in direction from the way we are living our lives now.

What we DO need to do is get in touch with our inner self, which is always connected through Spirit to our soul essence, which is part of God. Our inner self always understands the true purpose of our life, and looks at people, events and circumstances as the learning opportunities they were intended to be.

That objective perspective about life as a learning experience is sometimes very different from the perspectives we have developed over the course of our lifetime. The perspectives that drive our day to day choices are usually based on our emotional responses to what we have experienced, and are usually driven by one or more of our lesser aspects (emotional, intellectual and/or physical) instead of by Spirit.

On a conscious level, with no connection to our soul essence or God, life seems to be a very emotional experience. We have no choice but to think our way through the never-ending situations that arise, and all that thinking usually has a detrimental effect on our physical bodies. For many people, life is really not a very pleasant experience at all, with it's continuous struggles. It's not unusual, in the human factor, to spend most of our time looking back with regret and/or worrying about what will happen next. Surviving the present moment has become our priority in life.

God never intended life on any level to be a struggle. God provided every life form on every level of existence with everything they needed to be happy. Not just happy, actually ? it was intended that every living thing exist in the blissful state of being One with God. The structure under which the souls were intended to learn their life lessons was one that accommodated growth through connection on a conscious level to the soul essence itself, which would guide the souls to self-awareness by walking the life path in a state of Grace.

When Man chose to separate himself from God by closing his connection through Spirit and allowing his conscious mind to become his driving force, he gave up that state of bliss in favor of experiencing the mental, emotional and physical repercussions of his choices on a full-time basis. He became a physical being, instead a spiritual being in physical form.

As physical beings living in a physical world, we have developed behavior patterns on every level in an effort to make life 'feel better.' Most of these behavior patterns have been developed as our way of responding to what life brings us. If we experience a good deal of emotional trauma, we may decide not to be emotional anymore, and close our emotional aspect down. We may find that there are certain things that we choose not to think about, because they cause us worry and distress. We may avoid certain physical activities because they cause our bodies pain.

We become who we need to become to survive life as physical beings in a physical world. We give little, if any, thought to the more abstract issues of life. Who has time to think about spiritual things when the physical, intellectual and emotional things in life are all-consuming? Very often, the way we respond to life is in direct conflict to the way we believe life should be. The way we think about life is what drives the way we feel about life, and it is the way we feel about life that determines how we respond to it.

These external behavior patterns are often in direct conflict with our inner truth. It's not what we say, but what we do that determines 'who we are and what we believe in' at any given moment. When who we are being is different from who we intended to be, our lives are filled with stress and discomfort on every level.

It is for this reason that our inner voice - our own inner understanding of what IS proper conduct, what IS our personal value system, what IS our personal truth - becomes the only determining factor in deciding what it is that we need to integrate into our being and what it is that we need to eliminate because it is not valid for us as individuals.

Because we begin as a whole, we never lose touch with our soul essence. Our soul essence is always very much aware of the Universal Law on which our personal belief system is based, and it is our soul essence that becomes the directing force in our life when we allow our spiritual aspect to become the primary aspect that directs the lower self.

Because we begin and end as a whole, everything that we encounter in our personal growth process is familiar to us. The more open we become to past life experiences - other cultures that we have experienced and other belief systems that we have lived by - the more we come to realize that everything has a somewhat familiar ring to it and we can remember - vaguely - when we were that type of person, or followed that type of doctrine, or we applied that type of truth to our day to day existence.

With a little bit of effort, we can - vaguely - remember whether the effect of that application was positive or negative, whether it contributed to or detracted from our soul evolution process - which is, after all, focused into bringing us back to that level of wholeness where we began. It is when we allow our soul essence to replace the physical self as the driving force in our life that we once again enter in the state of Grace that was our birthright.

Lois Grant-Holland is a Life Path Focus Counselor offering Life Path Focus Sessions, Karmic Astrology Charts, Channeled Guidance, Intuitive Readings and Classes and Workshops to spiritual seekers on all positive paths, and is the site facilitator at The A.N.S.W.E.R. - (The Seeker's Resource Guide to Alternative, New Thought, Spiritual Growth, Wellness and Enlightenment Resources.) You can visit her website at http://www.loisgrantholland.com

The Pipeline: Curious, Desperate, Inspired?

You do have a "Pipeline" don't you? You know, the directional map of how you're going to encourage complete strangers to part with their money to buy what you're selling!

If you don't have one, you should let us know - we'll send you a picture - just pop an email to leanpipeline@aweber.com with "Send Me The Pipeline - I'm Missing Out!" in the subject line!

You know how it is, sometimes, even when everything else seems to fit, you'll pick up a prospect that really isn't suited to you. This has happened more than once to my business in the past and it can become a frustrating waste of time and money. So, today I'm going to share with you some secrets for spotting the trouble in advance. I've categorised people in your pipeline into three types:

1. Curious
2. Desperate
3. Inspired

Just one warning. I'm generalising massively here, so only use these categories as a guide for how you operate tactically and not how you treat different people. I know and like lots of people who play curious, inspired and desperate routines at different times.

1. Curious

This type of prospect is otherwise known as the tyre kicker, wagging tail or time waster.

Although their nickname isn't exactly amorous they can still serve a useful purpose in your marketing. They are usually nice people, who are genuinely interested in what you're doing, but are VERY unlikely to buy from you.

The Risk

If you've ever wondered why some people just don't commit to buying your services, even though you've put lots of time and effort into a proposal, presentation or meeting, then you've probably fallen victim to the Curious prospect.

The curious customer will bleed you of time and intellectual property (which in business means money) in return for nothing.

The fact that they might buy is what keeps the illusion intact and enables them to extract value in return for nothing.

Variants

If they're from a large organisation, they can bleed you dry by dangling the "large-contract-big-customer" carrot in return for free information that serves their political (career) purposes. People from large organisations who only spend other people's money aren't usually aware of the effects their behaviour can have on a small business, so it's your responsibility to deal with them efficiently.

If they're an individual or running a small firm then they may just be looking for value for money (which might be limited). In this case, they'll attempt to get a lot out of you in return for their money. This is understandable, but in many cases they'll get enough information to do it themselves or to effectively direct your cheapest competitor.

Detection

It's hard to spot a well practiced curious customer because they give you all the signals that most genuinely interested prospects would.

If you have a well constructed strategy for moving people through your pipeline and certain customers get stuck with no other explanation then I'd do the following...

Call their bluff... Tell them what you've given for f'ree, explain that, in the interests of staying in profitable business, that the f'ree stuff ends now and ask them for their commitment. Their response will usually uncover their true motivation.

Tactics

You should use tactics to spot Curious customers as early as possible and allow them to fall out of your pipeline before spending too much time and money.

They talk to lots of people though, so make sure you've installed your Brand Power statement during the detection process to benefit from potential new referral business.

The golden rule is:

Once you've detected them, leave them alone.

Maybe ping them with the odd bit of info you'd like passed on and stop thinking about them.

2. Desperate

This type of prospect is usually the easiest to sell to. In fact, you're not really selling, they're buying.

Now you may be thinking... What's the problem with that - sounds like a good kind of prospect to me? And that's exactly why so many people fall into the desperate prospect's trap.

Desperate business people have genuinely got to that position because of the way they operate. They leave things to the last minute, procrastinate, make hasty decisions, forget what they said, act like a victim etc.

If you work with individuals then your whole product might be based on desperation, but this is slightly different.

The Risk

Desperate prospects usually have a problem that needs a quick fix. They're usually willing to pay but there will be some hidden rules to the exchange... You'll be expected to work beyond your usual routine for the benefit of someone else and with no other reward other than money. The money they've spent will have hurt them and you'll be considered a 'necessary evil', so the relationship will never really get off on the right foot.

You'll still get repeat business though, because they'll associate you with someone who'll jump at the last minute to get them out of a scrape. You'll be associated with the initial urgent problem you were first called in to fix. This is disruptive, dangerous and takes your eye off the ball.

Variants

I've really only touched on business people with my above descriptions. Individuals might be desperate for other reasons. The AA and RAC here in the UK make good money out of people who are desperate. But these aren't desperate in the sense I'm suggesting because they thought ahead.

If you deal with people who have phobias, health issues or bad habits then they're desperate to change. Just be careful they're not under the false belief that you have god-like powers. If they're desperate to make a change and willing to accept responsibility for it then I'd argue that they were inspired rather than desperate.

Detection

They'll leap from complete stranger to paid for your work in one step (if you still don't have the pipeline picture you're probably wondering what I'm talking about here - get the picture - leanpipeline@aweber.com with "Send Me The Pipeline - I'm Missing Out!" in the subject line!) They'll be interested in signing contracts and getting started immediately. They may ask you to guarantee you'll be able to deliver within their time frame.

Who am I kidding? You'll spot a desperate customer from a mile off.

Tactics

If you want to be nice then just say you can't deliver to the timescale they're expecting because of other commitments (like your long term sanity). You may want to advise them on the best plan of action but they probably won't be listening anyway.

If you want to be naughty then tell them you can't help but you know someone who can... Then send them onto the competition with your compliments ;o) Hey, they don't call me Dangerous for nothing!

Desperate people are a niche though, so if you think you can make a nice profit from serving this niche then be my guest. I'd go for a high cost strategy and make sure your legal bits are watertight.

3. Inspired

I've saved the best for last.

I make a rule of only working with inspired people.

To me inspired prospects have the following traits...

* They want to make a positive change (business/life)

* They're aware of their strengths and are willing to pay for help with their weaknesses

* They believe they're responsible for achieving the change

The Risk

You do run the risk of getting carried away with inspired people and wanting to give them more than they've paid for. They'll have exciting goals and they'll talk enthusiastically about them.

Don't get sucked in to working for free though, they'll respect your rules if you state them clearly and openly.

Other than this risk, inspired clients are a pleasure. You'll be rewarded in far more ways than just monetary. You'll work on exciting projects and be given credit for the strengths you added.

Detection

Inspired people will come to you with a plan or idea and ask if you can help them. They'll be able to talk enthusiastically and articulately about their business, plans and goals. They'll ask questions in accordance with their plan and may have a clear idea about timescales.

I explicitly state in most of my communications that I only want to work with inspired people and that's usually exactly what I get. I can't really do much more than this. You'll just have to look at clients/people who have been inspired in the past and work out what it is that defined inspired to you.

Tactics

Look after inspired prospects and ping them with regular bits of info that will help them achieve their goal. Be prepared with the up-sell, on-sell and cross-sell. If it fits and they can afford it, they'll buy.

Speak Soon,

'Dangerous' Debbie Jenkins
debs@debbiejenkins.com

(c) Copyright 2005 www.BookShaker.com

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AdWords Work: They Really Do!

In 2003 I was accepted by Google into their AdSense program. Without a doubt, it has been a profitable relationship for both parties as they continuously serve up high paying content related ads and we share in the spoils. Still, AdSense does not bring me new customers, but AdWords does. Do AdWords work? Yes they do. Let's take a look at some of the benefits of running a cost effective AdWords campaign.

So, what are AdWords? AdWords is a Google product for web advertisers. Ads are written by advertisers who determine how much they will pay for each click [or impression] on their ad, where the ad will run, and for how long. The ads appear on Google's search results, on websites, virtually anywhere a web page can be served. No, they do not appear on adult or hate sites nor do they appear on any site that Google deems to be unacceptable.

The cost of running AdWords is fully under the control of advertisers. You can select payouts of anywhere from a nickle to $100. per click and budget the daily amount you want to spend. You can run one ad or multiple ads and have several campaigns running simultaneously. You can also change your ads or campaigns midstream or pull the program altogether. At the beginning of the month Google will bill you for the ads clicked; this step usually occurs as a debit to your checking account.

Do AdWords really work? Yes, they do. Several months after being accepted by Google into their AdSense program I decided I needed to launch my own ad campaign. Naturally, Google was the choice as I was benefitting from AdSense and I wanted to help Google out even in a small way. For the past eighteen months I have been running campaigns on and off and have learned the most cost effective -- as well as market penetrating -- ways to reach my customers. They include:

1. Run short campaigns. I keep my campaigns to a week or two before pulling them. If I am interested in going further, I usually rewrite my ads or change my target audience. I check my keywords and toss those that are ineffective.

2. Low CPCs. For awhile Google was receiving reports of illegal clicks to advertisers' ads. Many advertisers found their budgets depleted within days of starting campaigns and complained loudly to Google. For their part, Google repaid advertisers for invalid clicks, but the problem of click fraud continues. I have found that offering ten cent bids for clicks helps to bring adequate traffic to my sites; I don't seem to suffer much from invalid clicks, but when I do the loss is minimal. Many advertisers are lowering their bid amounts -- to the chagrin of publishers -- to avoid being the victim of invalid clicks.

3. Low budgets. I generally budget between $1-$3 per day for my campaigns. If I see a problem with invalid clicks, I change the campaign and notify Google. Google is very quick in amending problems for their advertisers.

4. The Googlebot. Yes, if you run AdSense ads, the Googlebot will visit your site as does Google's regular page indexing/spidering robot. I cannot prove it, but I seem to have generated better indexed pages with Google since incorporating AdWords. They send the traffic via the ads and my pages are moving up in the ranks.

You will need to experiment to find out what type of campaign works for your business. Keep a close eye on the reports made available by Google for AdWords advertisers and look at your webstats reports for changes in traffic. Above all, ask your new customers how they learned about your business and chances are a significant number will mention that they clicked on a Google ad to find your site. If that is the case, your campaign is a success and you will soon agree with me that AdWords does work, indeed!

Matt is The Article Writer who writes on a variety of topics for web content to magazines. You can see samples of some of his work at http://www.thearticlewriter.com

The Homeopathic Nutraceutical Attend as an Alternative to Ritalin

You no longer have to use Ritalin or other stimulants to treat ADHD. You no longer have to consider anti-depressants as the alternative to stimulants. There are other choices. Healthier choices.

Eighteen months of clinical research has resulted in the further improvement of Vaxa's outstanding "Attend" product, used for the treatment of Attention Deficit Disorder, with or without hyperactivity. The Vaxa research and development team has put together the most scientifically advanced, non-prescription, over-the-counter medicine on the market today.

The new formula of "Attend," available since December, 1996, uses cutting edge research with amino acid combinations, Essential Fatty Acids, lipid complexes, homeopathic medicines, hormone precursors, and the precursors to specific neurotransmitters to improve the lives of children and adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The product is more comparable to a "brain fertilizer" rather than to a stimulant medication. The purpose of the product is to help the brain to develop new and better neural pathways, to process information better and faster, and to improve the brain's ability to inhibit behaviors.

Optimum results are achieved after four to six months of use, especially when combined with a nutritional program. The product may be used while the subject is still taking prescription medication. The goal is to reduce or completely eliminate use of stimulants or other medications over a six month period of time.

If the child/adult is very hyperactive, or very aggressive, or has temper problems, then we also recommend using Vaxa's "Extress" in addition to the "Attend." The branched-chain amino acids in the Extress have shown themselves to be very helpful with the above symptoms. The Extress can be taken along with the Attend. We have been very impressed with the results of the Extress on temper and impulse control problems!

The formula is an extremely well balanced combination of "brain foods". This formula is three to four years ahead of other labs in the development of non-prescription treatments for ADHD.

Results of Clinical Trials: Although our studies are considered "pilot" studies, our results showed the when used for a period of only 30 days, with no other interventions in place, 70% of the subjects made statistically significant improvement as measured by the computerized performance test known as the TOVA (Test of Variables of Attention). As measured by the TOVA 30% of the subjects made the leap from "out of the normal ranges" to "within normal ranges" of performance, comparable to having the "perfect" dose of Ritalin in their systems at a 1.5 hour interval. As measured by parent ratings, 80% of the subjects showed improvement in behavior and academic performance.

These results are really extraordinary, considering that the product is completely non-prescription, is very healthy for both children and adults, and is not a stimulant. Again, this is with only 30 days use, and no other interventions. These results are better than the results one would expect to see with subjects taking pemoline (Cylert) under the same conditions.

We also noted that the longer a subject used Attend, the better the outcomes. In fact, we also had some college athletes in a trial. Even though they tested in the "normal" or even "better than normal" ranges on the TOVA, especially in measured reaction time, they improved their performance on the TOVA with use of Attend over a 60 day period of time. Reaction time especially improved. As a result, we are also recommending Attend for athletes wishing to achieve peak levels of performance.

Ritalin has been shown through the years to be very effective in the treatment of ADHD symptoms, although it has potential side-effects which many families would like to avoid. More recently, other interventions such as EEG biofeedback training have shown themselves to be very useful in treatment as well. A great deal of energy and money is being poured into the development of non-prescription treatments for ADHD.

Any treatment that can top Ritalin's supposed 75% "response with improvement" rate can and will be "king of the hill" in treatment. I predict that the new "Attend" product will come close to this rate, but it will take the continued use of the product for four to six months to get there. Ritalin's great advantage is that it works (or doesn't) within 20 minutes if the optimum dose is used. For now, I would say that the new "Attend" is equal to or better than the use of pemoline (Cylert) in terms of performance of product and the length of time it takes before it really works well. In terms of being healthy, "Attend" is much healthier for a person than is pemoline.

Physicians or parents interested in trying pemoline in the treatment of attention deficit disorder - ADD ADHD should consider a clinical trial of new Attend first. Also, for those who are presently taking Ritalin or other stimulants, but wish that they really didn't have to, it would be appropriate to try the Attend IN ADDITION to the other medication for three or four months, and then evaluate how the child does without medications (on the weekends, for example).

We believe that the greatest impact from the Attend will be from four to six months of use, but benefit will be apparent within three to four months. We have many children and teenagers at our clinic who are trying to "get off of Ritalin" by doing the EEG biofeedback training, and it can be very helpful. We believe that the use of this Attend, over the same length of time, will accomplish about the same results, but for far less money (about $300 for Attend versus $2,500 for neurofeedback).

Douglas Cowan, Psy.D., is a family therapist who has been working with ADHD children and their families since 1986. He is the clinical director of the ADHD Information Library's family of seven web sites, including http://www.newideas.net, helping over 350,000 parents and teachers learn more about ADHD each year. Dr. Cowan also serves on the Medical Advisory Board of VAXA International of Tampa, FL., is President of the Board of Directors for KAXL 88.3 FM in central California, and is President of NewIdeas.net Incorporated.

Lotronex Lawyer: Lotronex Side Effects Lawsuit

Even in clinical trials, Lotronex displayed a tendency towards causing ischemic colitis in patients. From the February in which Lotronex was approved until June, the FDA received seven reports of serious complications of constipation leading to hospitalization. Surgery was required to relieve some cases of extreme Lotronex constipation. Lotronex Medication Guides were issued under regulations that became effective in 1999 when Lotronex patients ended up in hospitalization and requiring surgical procedures for constipation. Since Lotronex is a drug used to treat diarrhea, these surgeries were obviously not necessary to treat conditions held before taking the drug.

Despite the FDA's issuing of this safety information about Lotronex, patients kept filing severe adverse event reports of ischemic colitis, complications of constipation, death reports, and complications requiring blood transfusions. The FDA recalled Lotronex on November 2000, just nine months after approval.

In 2002, the FDA announced the approval of a supplemental New Drug Application that allows restricted marketing of Lotronex to treat only women with severe diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrom. The approval of Lotronex includes a risk management program to ensure patients and physicians are fully informed of risks and possible benefits of Lotronex. Patients using Lotronex must sign a contract with their doctors stating that they understand the risk of serious constipation that could result in surgery, blood transfusion, or death.

These restrictions are very tight because of the history of tragedies involving Lotronex and its potential to cause unusual, very painful death by constipation. Because of this it is imperative that Lotronex not be bought over the internet. The system through which patients sign a Lotronex contract with their doctor assures that everybody involved in the transaction is educated on all the dangers and benefits involved and prepared to accept responsibility for the consequences.

Please contact a lawyer if you have taken Lotronex during the time when it enjoyed unrestricted access to the market, between 1999-2000. Also contact a lawyer if you are currently taking Lotronex and have not signed a contract with your doctor, or feel that your physician is administering the drug improperly.

To find out why you need a Lotronex lawyer and read articles about dangerous drugs and Lotronex side effects, visit our website at hugesettlements.com.

If you have any questions or concerns about filing a Lotronex lawsuit, please contact a professional Lotronex attorney right away!

Equipment Leasing Blunders That Can Cost Your Firm a Mint

Rod McHenry, the financial vice president of a document imaging company, thought he had great cause for celebrating. He had signed an unbelievable $370,000 lease proposal covering computer servers, workstations, software and other networking equipment. McHenry believed he had snared an incredible lease rate, capping off weeks of negotiating an acceptable equipment price with the equipment vendor. The proposal guaranteed a lease closing and offered a return of the 2% 'commitment fee' paid by McHenry's company if the leasing company failed to give credit approval within two weeks. Little did McHenry know that signing this proposal would lead his company into the 'Twilight Zone' of equipment leasing. Ultimately, his firm would fork out more than $15,000 in legal fees seeking lessor performance, only to learn that the lessor was already insolvent and mired in several similar lawsuits.

Like McHenry's employer, thousands of U.S. companies lease equipment each year, many of them without careful attention to potential blunders. Rod McHenry became victim to one possible pitfall, but there are several areas deserving careful attention.

Falling For the Lowest Rate

One potential pot-hole facing many would-be lessees is basing their lease decision solely on the lowest monthly payment. Even on the face of it, making a decision based on the monthly payment makes little sense. First, these amounts give only a partial picture of total lease pricing. An accurate discounting of cash flows using a present value analysis, including up-front lease payments, monthly payments, security deposits and fees can often change the outcome of the lowest lease bid. Making sure that each lease proposal is reduced to a present value calculation guarantees that you will be comparing apples to apples. Even if you make accurate price comparisons, pricing all by itself fails to consider several important factors ? ones that might save you a bundle in the long run and keep your firm from blundering. To avoid pitfalls in this area, list and evaluate your top priorities for a leasing arrangement. Consider factors such as: choosing the right leasing partner, balance sheet considerations, tax considerations, choosing the right form of lease, avoiding severe lease terms, and getting enough lease flexibility.

Failing to Check Lessors' References and Financial Condition

As Rod McHenry discovered, perhaps the area with the greatest potential for a misstep is lessor selection. Failing to investigate and make a wise choice of leasing partner can result in transaction delay, misrepresentations, nonperformance, unexpected fees or even fraud. Like many industries, equipment leasing encompasses many players with varying degrees of experience, specialization, integrity and financial strength. In selecting the best leasing partner, get sufficient information from bidders to perform an effective reference check. If possible, also obtain financial information from bidding lessors to evaluate their financial condition. Obtain Dunn and Bradstreet reports on each bidder. Ask for and check customer, vendor, bank and trade references. Perform an Internet news and message board search to make sure the bidding lessors are not the subject of any unresolved problems or scandals. Most reputable lessors belong to one of the major equipment leasing trade associations (ELA, EAEL, UAEL, or NAELB). Call the appropriate association for a reference. Lastly, ask around. Check with your attorney, accounting firm, banker, friends and associates who are able to make recommendations based on past experiences.

Not Fully Understanding the Lease Agreement

Failing to read and understand the major terms and conditions of the equipment lease can cost your company a bundle. While most lease agreements include similar terms and conditions, there can be noticeable differences. For example, most agreements cover the lessee's responsibility to pack the equipment and ship it to the lessor at the end of the lease, if the lessee chooses to return the equipment. Some leases require the lessee to have this done by the last day of the lease, perhaps depriving the lessee of a week or more of use. Also, some agreements require the lessee to pay for equipment de-installation, packing and shipping to any destination within the US, which can be costly. You can save money by negotiating many of these points. Read the lease agreement thoroughly, get legal advice if necessary, and negotiate points that can save you money.

Making the Wrong Choice Between Fair Market Value and Bargain Purchase Leases

High on the list of potential leasing blunders is choosing the wrong form of lease for your planned use of the equipment. Failure to choose wisely can result in significant additional lease expense. Equipment leases fall into two broad categories: 1) leases designed to pass ownership of the equipment to the lessee at the end of the lease (bargain purchase/capital leases) and 2) leases intended to allow the leasing company to retain ownership of the equipment (FMV or operating leases).

If you plan to keep the equipment beyond the term of the lease, it is generally cheaper to enter into a bargain purchase/capital lease. During the lease, you pay the lessor a rate of return plus the cost of the equipment. At the end of the lease, you receive the equipment title for a nominal payment. If the equipment is subject to rapid obsolescence or if you feel confident that you will return the equipment at the end of the lease, a FMV or operating lease might prove advantageous. What you are getting in a FMV or operating lease is the flexibility to kick the equipment out at lease end. Additionally, this form of lease can lower your lease rate as the lessor passes a portion of the anticipated residual value back to your firm in the form of lower payments. If your firm has reason to minimize liabilities appearing on the balance sheet, perhaps due to bank financial covenants, an operating lease might be appealing. In these lease situations, balance sheet concerns may trump the desire to obtain the lowest lease rate. In choosing a lease form, look at the period of intended equipment use, the potential for equipment obsolescence, balance sheet considerations, income tax considerations and any other factors that might influence lease choice.

Failing to Evaluate Vendor Service - Equipment Lease Arrangements

Entering into a 'hell or high water' equipment lease involving proprietary equipment required for a multi-year service (such as alternative energy or telephone services) can lead your firm into a situation ripe for blunder. Even under the best of circumstances, a 'hell or high water' equipment lease (one requiring non-cancelable payments) entered into in connection with a service arrangement carries a certain degree of risk. In many cases, the lease is provided by a leasing company independent from the service provider or later sold by the service provider to a lessor. The potential pitfall results from the possibility that your company might get stuck making lease payments for equipment it can no longer use, should the service provider fail or cease to offer the service. The best protection against this potential pitfall is to avoid these types of arrangements. If you must enter into such an arrangement, make sure the service provider is financially sound, reputable, and has a long track record of providing excellent service. Also, since these transactions always carry some risk, make sure that an abrupt interruption in the service will not have a material negative impact on your company or cause financial hardship.

Ignoring End-of-lease Notice Deadline

While not a deadly blunder, failing to give timely notice at the end of your lease can create significant additional lease expense for your firm if you plan to return the equipment. Many leases have provisions that require the lessee to notify the lessor of the lessee's decision to return the equipment at the end of the lease. If you violate the notice period, the lease kicks into an often unfavorable automatic renewal period, usually one to six months. If you intend to return the equipment at lease end, make sure your firm gives notice on time. It can save your firm a bundle in avoidable lease expense.

Underestimating Time Required to Close Lease

Not allowing enough time to go through the lease planning, proposal, approval and documentation phases can result in extra cost. A rushed process can lead to poor lessor selection, approval delays, documentation miscues or poorly negotiated lease terms. Except in small ticket transactions (under $ 75,000 to $ 100,000) where personal guarantees of the principals are involved, most lease transactions take at least three weeks or more to close. While some of the time is consumed in the bidding and credit review processes, much of it can be eaten up by administrative matters. Obtaining insurance certificates, filing UCC financing statements, reviewing and negotiating the lease agreement, all contribute to the time it takes to get to a lease closing. The best way to manage the lease closing process and to save precious time and money is to plan ahead. Make sure you establish criteria for the lease you are seeking, prepare a package containing information all bidders would want, obtain a lease closing list from each lease bidder, and respond to all requests/questions raised by bidding lessors on a timely basis.

While equipment leasing pitfalls can not always be avoided, you can take steps to prevent snags that can cost your firm a mint. Plan ahead and do your homework before launching the lease bidding process. Give high priority to selecting an experienced lease provider with high integrity and good expertise. Also, with lease transactions that represent significant obligations for your firm, engage a competent attorney to help you review and negotiate the equipment lease.

George Parker is a Director and Executive Vice President of Leasing Technologies International, Inc. ("LTI"), responsible for LTI's marketing and financing efforts. A co-founder of LTI, Mr. Parker has been involved in secured lending and equipment financing for over twenty years. Mr. Parker is an industry leader, frequent panelist and author of several articles pertaining to equipment financing.

Headquartered in Wilton, CT, LTI is a leasing firm specializing nationally in direct equipment financing and vendor leasing programs for emerging growth and later-stage, venture capital backed companies. More information about LTI is available at: http://www.ltileasing.com .

Business Innovation ? Eliciting Talent

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation can be defined as idea selection, development and commercialisation.

There are other useful definitions in this field, for example, creativity can be defined as consisting of a number of ideas, a number of diverse ideas and a number of novel ideas.

There are distinct processes that enhance problem identification and idea generation and, similarly, distinct processes that enhance idea selection, development and commercialisation. Whilst there is no sure fire route to commercial success, these processes improve the probability that good ideas will be generated and selected and that investment in developing and commercialising those ideas will not be wasted.

Eliciting Talent

Talent is a relative term. When someone is able to perform a task better than peers, s/he is given the label "talented." There are various ways of eliciting and developing talent:

a) Sheer prolific production. This process enhances methodology, work processes, knowledge and leads to optimal performance.

b) Incubation. Skills are developed at various cognitive levels, which take an amount of time to reach the level of "richness." The amount of time is dependent on the task and exact skills required.

c) Structure. Developing an optimised structure and performing the endeavour around it optimises growth and learning. Structure is the most misunderstood but valuable concepts in any endeavour.

d) Intrinsic motivation. As a result of nature or nurture, we all have directions that we are more intrinsically motivated towards. We can all be guided towards directions that we are not intrinsically motivated in, but growth and development tend to occur faster when we have a natural interest in the subject.

These and other topics are covered in depth in the MBA dissertation on Managing Creativity & Innovation, which can be purchased (along with a Creativity and Innovation DIY Audit, Good Idea Generator Software and Power Point Presentation) from http://www.managing-creativity.com/

You can also receive a regular, free newsletter by entering your email address at this site.

Kal Bishop, MBA

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You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made and the author's name and site URL are retained.

Kal Bishop is a management consultant based in London, UK. He has consulted in the visual media and software industries and for clients such as Toshiba and Transport for London. He has led Improv, creativity and innovation workshops, exhibited artwork in San Francisco, Los Angeles and London and written a number of screenplays. He is a passionate traveller. He can be reached on http://www.managing-creativity.com/

Write Your Weekly Ezine in 5-Minutes! (or better yet, dont write it at all)

How to write your ezine in 5 minutes by legally and ethically stealing other people's articles...

There are virtual storehouses of awesome articles and reports just waiting online for you to tap into. They're ready and available for your use; and, in fact, the authors very much want you to go grab them and use their articles.

You don't even have to search very far. You're only a scroll and a click away from a list of sites and locations that will provide you with hundreds of articles that you can browse, pick up and publish for free.

Free article content and syndicated article content is pretty much the same thing. The main difference is that syndicated article content is published or delivered either through the use of a service or a script feed. Free article content is usually hosted on the author's site with his or her expressed permission for you to use it.

A few general rules to consider in your quest for quick-and-easy newsletter content:

1) Look for content that fits well with the theme of your newsletter.

2) Answer this question for yourself... "Is this information of any value to my subscribers?"

3) How can I potentially benefit by using this article? And, yes, I am referring to money.

Points 1 and 2 above are obviously important considerations, and I don't really need to dwell on them.

Point 3 is equally important.

Authors who provide free articles for your use will always require that you include their "resource box" at the end of the article. This is right and proper since the author deserves to be recognized and it's their copyrighted material.

Are you asking yourself this question:

"If the article isn't mine, and the resource box isn't mine, how in the world am I going to take this 5-minute newsletter and turn it into income?!"

Good question. Read on.

An important key to monetizing the fre article content that you're borrowing from someone else is to seek out authors who will allow you to use an affiliate link to their products or services within the resource box. The resource box is usually four or five lines that lead you to the author's site.

If the author will allow you to sign up for his or her affiliate program and use your affiliate link in the resource box, you now have the opportunity to earn some income for anyone who clicks through that link and purchases a product from the author's site.

Alrighty then! It's a great combo isn't it? You don't have to agonize over copywriting. You can publish your ezine in about 5 minutes. You can send it to your millions of subscribers with one simple click of a button. AND you can profit in the process.

Here are some resources that you can begin to explore:

At Internet Marketing Power Tools (my site):

** Free Article Resources **

==> http://www.gothrive.com/article-archives.html (This is my site that I use to support my ezine)

==> http://snipurl.com/freearticles/

** Syndicated Article Resources **

==> http://snipurl.com/syndicatedarticles/

Another awesome resource:

"Best of Web Gold" ? this collection of articles is made available by Terry Dean of NetBreakthroughs (huge success online and all around great guy) You'll find over 75 articles that you can use in your newsletter. The only requirement is the resource box thing. But you can use your NetBreakthroughs affiliate link in the resource box so you'll have a chance to earn money.

Here's exactly what Terry says: "Feel free to use these articles below as long as the link in the resource box of each article points back to me."

As a NetBreakthroughs affiliate, your affiliate link is going obviously going to point back to Terry.

STEP 1: Sign up for Terry's affiliate program here:

==> http://snipurl.com/terrydeanaffiliate/

STEP 2: Go here to access this super collection of articles:

==> http://www.bizpromo.com/free/

If you haven't started your own online newsletter yet, use this technique to launch it today. Did someone say "Pulitzer"?

Copyright 2005 Ron Hutton

Ron Hutton is a 20 year sales and marketing veteran with a passion for coaching and training. Subscribe to "GoThrive Online", for big juicy marketing tips in small, easy-to-chew, bite size servings. 17 Free Cool Tools... http://www.gothrive.com

Produce Creativity: 4 Ways To Motivate Your Melon

It was 8:00 PM and I'd hit a creative wall ? hard. But there was so much work to be done! And I just had to get out of the office or else my article would never get finished. So I knew the only way to stimulate my mind was to practice a technique called "displacement."

You've no doubt heard of (and probably practiced) this creativity booster before: take a different route to work, eat at a new restaurant or take an outside break ? anything to change your environment. In fact, if you Google the word "creativity," most of the articles will instruct you to practice some type of displacement technique. They'll urge you to "stray off the beaten path" because changes in your surroundings will stimulate your senses and enhance your ability to generate new ideas.

But I think Michael Michalko said it best in his famous book on business creativity, Thinkertoys: "Your mind is like vegetation. It flourishes in one soil and droops in another."

I read that quotation right as I hit my wall last night. Hmm...vegetation, I thought. That gives me an idea! So I took his advice ? literally ? and went to the one place I'd be guaranteed to find lots of vegetation: the grocery store.

Trust me; this wasn't my first choice for a place to get some work done. But Starbucks was closed and all the local restaurants were too loud. However, I did remember noticing a line of computer tables in the produce section of the store a few weeks earlier.

It felt awfully strange walking into the grocery store at 8:30 PM with a briefcase in one hand and an Ipod in the other. Then again, I needed some mental stimulation, and I needed it fast. So, what better place to enliven all five of the senses than the produce section?

And it worked! Surrounding me were hundreds of fruits and vegetables of every color; crisp, cool air; and the aroma of fresh flowers and spices. It was everything my baffled brain needed. And within a few minutes, I was back on track with my article. New thoughts poured onto my laptop. Creative ideas came from out of the blue. I climbed over my mental wall!

Now, let's talk about why this unusual displacement technique worked. Was it something in the air? Was it a coincidence? No. Creativity doesn't know what the word "coincidence" means. It has to do with our thinking process. It has to do with displacement. Now, maybe the grocery store isn't for you. But when your brain decides it doesn't want to get creative anymore ? and trust me, it will ? you'll need some techniques to help you break out of the same old mental rut. So, here are Four Ways to Motivate Your Melon.

Exercise
Have you ever noticed how creative you get while exercising for extended periods of time?

That's not a coincidence, either ? it's biological. According to Molecules of Emotion by Candace B. Pert, continuous exercise like running, long-distance swimming, aerobics, cycling or cross-country skiing appears to contribute to an increased production and release of endorphins. These endorphins are morphine-like substances that have strong affects on the brain and body during exercise. They result in a sense of euphoria that has been popularly labeled as the "runner's high."

For example, I run 8 miles every Sunday. It's my weekly "mental emptying." Interestingly enough, since I've been running for the past 6 or 7 years, I've written articles, speeches, even parts of books while jogging at the park! It's almost like taking a mind expanding drug every week to boost my creativity ? except it's legal, free and safe.

Think of it this way: how in the world did Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain and Jim Morrison come up with those incredible, timeless songs? They all took drugs. (Okay, they were also incredibly gifted musicians too, but you've got to admit: the drugs helped.) Now, we all know what happened to those three guys at the ripe age of 27. So this doesn't mean anyone should partake in such illegal activities. But remember: exercise is like a legal, healthy drug; and if you use it at the right time, you can come up with some incredibly creative stuff.

MELON MOTIVATOR #1: Take an hour to go for a walk, ride a bike or hike a trail.

Work On The Floor
Do you ever feel like your desk is caving in on you? That you have dozens of papers, reports, books and folders coming from all directions, reducing your actual workspace to the size of a Post-It Note?

If so, try the floor. It works wonders for enhancing your creativity, especially from a visual standpoint. First of all, you'll have plenty of room to spread out your materials. This will help you more effectively solve problems, come up with new ideas and brainstorm because you'll see all of the elements involved.

And once you sit down on the floor, you'll start thinking about how silly you look, whether or not your pants are getting wrinkled and what you're going to say to your boss when he walks in the room. Good. That's the perfect way take your mind off your mental block.

Displacing your vertical position also reveals patterns you never would have noticed otherwise. For example, I'm sitting in the grocery store right now as I write this article. To my left are Navel Oranges for $5.99 a pound. And wouldn't you know it? Right below the oranges on the ground level are 16 oz. bottles of Little Rainbow Fruit Juice ? for those unsuspecting little grocery shoppers of the youthful persuasion. Interesting...

MELON MOTIVATOR #2: The floor is your friend.

Change Your Workspace
Isn't it ironic that "thinking outside the box" is such an unoriginal and overused clich? that it's actually become an "inside the box" type of phrase?

That being said; forget about getting "outside the box," and get the heck out of the office! Wherever you live, there are bound to be dozens of workspaces you never would have thought to utilize. Coffee shops, all night diners, copy stores, 24 hour libraries, hotel lobbies, hospital cafeterias, even grocery stores are perfect to claim as your new "spot." Just be sure to find somewhere that's relatively quiet and appeals to the five senses in a manner that differs from your typical workspace.

In a recent article from Innovation Network, Jonathan Vehar revealed two examples of famous thinkers' workspace techniques. "Einstein came up with his greatest theories while sailing. And Edison, a man with over 1,000 patents to his credit, would go down to the dock and fish." As for me, I like the produce section. What about you?

MELON MOTIVATOR #3: The world is your office.

Get The Heck Outta Dodge
Have you ever noticed that movie and television characters always seem to "go for a drive" when they need to figure out their problems? They don't do this because their cars have magical powers. They do it because of the displacement.

Barring any road rage encounters, driving can be a relaxing activity. And it's a perfect refresher for your brain. The combination of constant motion, changing scenery and your favorite music will certainly help you displace your mind and your body. Hopefully not too much ? you do want to make it back to work the next day.

As another example, look at Robert Lutz, the recently retired president and vice chairman of Chrysler Corporation. According to Johnathan Vehar (ibid.) "Mr. Lutz was driving the back roads of southeastern Michigan in a V-8 powered sports car. He conceptualized using their new V-10 truck engine in a new sports car as a way to add excitement to their product line. This eventually turned into the hot V-10 powered Dodge Viper!"

MELON MOTIVATOR #4: Motion creates emotion.

As you experiment with these four displacement techniques, remember that creativity isn't a once a week or even a once a day thing. It's perpetual. And it's up to you to be on the lookout for materials you can use to build your ideas and get over that mental wall.

And while you're at it, also remember that creativity is largely about breaking the rules. So don't feel restricted in any way. After all, I'm writing this article at 11 PM on a Tuesday night sitting in the produce section of my local grocery store. Now THAT'S what you call motivating your melon!

? 2005 All Rights Reserved.

Scott Ginsberg is a professional speaker, "The World's Foremost Expert on Nametags" and the author of HELLO my name is Scott and The Power of Approachability. He helps people MAXIMIZE their approachability and become UNFORGETTABLE communicators - one conversation at a time. For more information contact Front Porch Productions at http://www.hellomynameisscott.com.